Feminism not only diminishes women's choices but denigrates the very gender it is supposed to protect.

The roll of "full-time mom" is both a "career choice" that is more unavailable to women and is a career-choice that is denigrated by the "feminist" movement. Note also that by denigrating the idea of a "full-time dad" or "house-dad", feminism is also saying that a homemaker role is one to be looked down upon.

... said the Straw Feminist. We don't know her, she's from Canada. But she totally exists, we'll just have to trust you.

douchebag/hater:The Betty Friedan who came from a well-off family and went to private schools all her life then married 'wealthy' and had maids cleaning her houses and basically had the world by the tail then wrote a book biatching how tough it is to be a woman?That Betty Friedan?

Bullshiat is bullshiat especially from a hypocrite.

Actually, I've found this to be true about a number of self-described "feminists": upper-middle class background, highly educated, high-five or six figure income, life of privilege... yet somehow, they're "oppressed" because one guy in a bar once called them "fat".

douchebag/hater:The Betty Friedan who came from a well-off family and went to private schools all her life then married 'wealthy' and had maids cleaning her houses and basically had the world by the tail then wrote a book biatching how tough it is to be a woman?That Betty Friedan?

WhippingBoy:austerity101: WhippingBoy: austerity101: WhippingBoy: austerity101: WhippingBoy: austerity101: WhippingBoy: I didn't misidentify her; those were meant to be two separate examples (one general and one specific) of privileged individuals who claim that they're oppressed.

It is quite possible to be privileged in some aspects and oppressed in others.

Of course it is. But it's as applicable to men as it is to women.

Surely you're not suggesting that any oppression enacted on men is equivalent to that enacted on women.

It all depends on what men or what women you're talking about.

We're talking about them en masse.

I can't honestly answer that question without some parameters. For example, is being (historically) expected to fight and die in war a form of oppression or privilege?

Does that ambiguous example somehow even out all of the far less ambiguous forms of privilege and oppression present in history and in the present?

I don't know. I honestly don't. You obviously expect me to say that men have been more "oppressed" so you can jump down my throat and show me how "wrong" I am. It just seems to me that throughout history (including the present day) people in general have had it pretty rough for different and varying reasons.

In any case, these constant "us vs them", "men vs women", "feminists vs the ignorant masses" have only left me weary and depressed. I give up. You win.

I don't expect that at all; you just seem willing to be quite skeptical about the oppression that women experience, but you haven't offered anything to justify that skepticism. There's mountains of evidence of this oppression and inequality.

You are correct that people have indeed had it pretty rough for different and varying reasons. One of those reasons has been being a woman, and it continues to this day, though.

rustypouch:Something else that they ignore is suicide rates. If men are so privileged, and life is great for them, why do they commit suicide at a rate nearly four times larger than women, and why does almost no one seem to care?

I'm not sure who you think "they" are, or who constitutes " almost no one," but in fact books have been written on the time. It is being studied.

In fact, one of the books mentioned in the article, The End of Men, discusses the problem at length.

As has already been pointed out in this thread, the goal of feminism is to create equality, not to subjugate men or create a matriarchy. So, yes, concern about how these changes will affect men is part of feminism, and feminists are aware of and concerned about them.

WhippingBoy:austerity101: WhippingBoy: austerity101: WhippingBoy: I didn't misidentify her; those were meant to be two separate examples (one general and one specific) of privileged individuals who claim that they're oppressed.

It is quite possible to be privileged in some aspects and oppressed in others.

Of course it is. But it's as applicable to men as it is to women.

Surely you're not suggesting that any oppression enacted on men is equivalent to that enacted on women.

Spaced Cowboy:WhippingBoy: dersk: WhippingBoy: dersk:I don't understand your big words. If you mean that I called someone out in this thread, and then failed to identify her when challenged, then yes, I did do that. It was intellectually(?) dishonest of me to do that; I certainly deserve your scorn.

That's because it's an unrelated medical term that he's trying to shoehorn into a sentence it doesn't fit in. Someone is trying to sound a bit more intelligent than they are and doing a poor job of it.

Heh... that makes sense. I looked up the term, and for the life of me couldn't figure out what was going on. I assumed he was insulting my manhood, but even so, that didn't make sense in context.

WhippingBoy:dersk: WhippingBoy: dersk:I don't understand your big words. If you mean that I called someone out in this thread, and then failed to identify her when challenged, then yes, I did do that. It was intellectually(?) dishonest of me to do that; I certainly deserve your scorn.

That's because it's an unrelated medical term that he's trying to shoehorn into a sentence it doesn't fit in. Someone is trying to sound a bit more intelligent than they are and doing a poor job of it.

dersk:Shakespeare's Sister: dersk: Shakespeare's Sister: To teach my students about argument, I use this: Women should or should not be required to register for selective service. Once I explain what it is, most of my female students argue yes, they should, and my male students argue no, they should not. I have been using this example for 10 years, and the answers almost always mirror this. I have yet to understand.

I read the book. It was awful.

There is a big difference between feminist and feminazi.

I do admit, I like having doors opened for me, help on with my coat, and chairs pulled out. There is something about that old fashioned behavior that makes me willing to put out. The entire time my fiance and I have been together I have not opened my own door, put on my coat without help, pulled out my own chair, or had to lift anything heavy. However, I do pay for dates. I have no problem with that at all. I joke with him that I paid, so he has to put out. He smiles and agrees.

Oh, apparently YOU'RE the one who's bitter because someone called you fat in a bar once. I can just sense the rage seeping between the lines of your post.

I am not bitter, and there was no rage in the post. I do not know where you got either of those ideas from. Wow. Just wow. Did we skip our meds this morning?

No, no, no - someone posted about how all the feminists, including someone in the thread, only care about equal rights and stuff like that because they were once insulted. When I challenged the poster to say who he was talking about, he detumesced.

I see. So you thought it might just be me? I guess that makes sense. I have not been called fat in a bar, but I was called a cock tease. No worries.

WhippingBoy:dersk: No, no, no - someone posted about how all the feminists, including someone in the thread, only care about equal rights and stuff like that because they were once insulted. When I challenged the poster to say who he was talking about, he detumesced.

He's talking about me.

Here is what I said:

Actually, I've found this to be true about a number of self-described "feminists": upper-middle class background, highly educated, high-five or six figure income, life of privilege... yet somehow, they're "oppressed" because one guy in a bar once called them "fat".

I most certainly did not claim "all" feminists.

But you did call out someone in the thread and then detumesce when I challenged you.

Yes, because God forbid women should stand up for themselves and demand equality.

I knew before I click this thread would be full of hostile, defensive men, but I've still gotta hand it to you for your alacrity. Right off the bat.

I will say, so that this post does more than just point out what a defensive idiot Generation D is (and really, you don't need me to tell you that), that it's very interesting to read The Feminine Mystique now, 50 years later. It's encouraging to see how far we've come, and enlightening to see how far we still have to go.

dersk:Shakespeare's Sister: To teach my students about argument, I use this: Women should or should not be required to register for selective service. Once I explain what it is, most of my female students argue yes, they should, and my male students argue no, they should not. I have been using this example for 10 years, and the answers almost always mirror this. I have yet to understand.

I read the book. It was awful.

There is a big difference between feminist and feminazi.

I do admit, I like having doors opened for me, help on with my coat, and chairs pulled out. There is something about that old fashioned behavior that makes me willing to put out. The entire time my fiance and I have been together I have not opened my own door, put on my coat without help, pulled out my own chair, or had to lift anything heavy. However, I do pay for dates. I have no problem with that at all. I joke with him that I paid, so he has to put out. He smiles and agrees.

Oh, apparently YOU'RE the one who's bitter because someone called you fat in a bar once. I can just sense the rage seeping between the lines of your post.

I am not bitter, and there was no rage in the post. I do not know where you got either of those ideas from. Wow. Just wow. Did we skip our meds this morning?

Shakespeare's Sister:To teach my students about argument, I use this: Women should or should not be required to register for selective service. Once I explain what it is, most of my female students argue yes, they should, and my male students argue no, they should not. I have been using this example for 10 years, and the answers almost always mirror this. I have yet to understand.

I read the book. It was awful.

There is a big difference between feminist and feminazi.

I do admit, I like having doors opened for me, help on with my coat, and chairs pulled out. There is something about that old fashioned behavior that makes me willing to put out. The entire time my fiance and I have been together I have not opened my own door, put on my coat without help, pulled out my own chair, or had to lift anything heavy. However, I do pay for dates. I have no problem with that at all. I joke with him that I paid, so he has to put out. He smiles and agrees.

Oh, apparently YOU'RE the one who's bitter because someone called you fat in a bar once. I can just sense the rage seeping between the lines of your post.

Ms.Friedan and an entourage of approximately ten people came into a piano bar I was working one night..circa 1975. Within 15 minutes,she came to me and produced a dollar...Putting it in my jar,she said;..."Could you take a break please..the people with me wanna hear what I have to say.." I dont know if this story is so much about Betty or my piano playing...But that's what happened.. Thank you..tip your waitress and drive safely.

dersk:HairBolus: TFA has extensive quotes from Jessica Valenti, the good looking "modern feminist" who attended a luncheon with Bill Clinton and stood in front of him in a pose to accentuate her breasts. Maybe she was just trying to entrap him

[www.nospeedbumps.com image 450x320]

Christ, you're dumb.

Longer version: she's turned to the side, her shoulders aren't really pitched far back, her back isn't particularly arched. She's only accentuating her breasts in the sense that she has breasts.

Spaced Cowboy:And there we have it. All the usual little white knights have shown up. I believe we can call this a wrap fellas. Might as well shut the door now before they start screaming in their manliest soprano voice about how you shouldn't "insert whatever random feminist shiat they've chosen to whine about today."

Yesterday it was 50 year old statues, I wonder what they shoved up their ass today to get them going...

And there we have it. All the usual little white knights have shown up. I believe we can call this a wrap fellas. Might as well shut the door now before they start screaming in their manliest soprano voice about how you shouldn't "insert whatever random feminist shiat they've chosen to whine about today."

Yesterday it was 50 year old statues, I wonder what they shoved up their ass today to get them going...

WhippingBoy:dersk: WhippingBoy: dersk: WhippingBoy: douchebag/hater: The Betty Friedan who came from a well-off family and went to private schools all her life then married 'wealthy' and had maids cleaning her houses and basically had the world by the tail then wrote a book biatching how tough it is to be a woman?That Betty Friedan?

Bullshiat is bullshiat especially from a hypocrite.

Actually, I've found this to be true about a number of self-described "feminists": upper-middle class background, highly educated, high-five or six figure income, life of privilege... yet somehow, they're "oppressed" because one guy in a bar once called them "fat".

Name one.

One has posted in this thread.

And that would be...?

I'd rather not get banned.

Translation: "Uh, crap. I got called on it, and I can't actually name anyone who has posted in the thread who meets that condition. I better give a weak excuse, and then name some vague strawman that no one can directly quote to show me wrong."

How about any PhD level professor of "Gender Studies" working at a major university?

dersk:WhippingBoy: dersk: WhippingBoy: douchebag/hater: The Betty Friedan who came from a well-off family and went to private schools all her life then married 'wealthy' and had maids cleaning her houses and basically had the world by the tail then wrote a book biatching how tough it is to be a woman?That Betty Friedan?

Bullshiat is bullshiat especially from a hypocrite.

Actually, I've found this to be true about a number of self-described "feminists": upper-middle class background, highly educated, high-five or six figure income, life of privilege... yet somehow, they're "oppressed" because one guy in a bar once called them "fat".

Name one.

One has posted in this thread.

And that would be...?

I'd rather not get banned.

How about any PhD level professor of "Gender Studies" working at a major university?

Crotchrocket Slim:Urbn: douchebag/hater: The Betty Friedan who came from a well-off family and went to private schools all her life then married 'wealthy' and had maids cleaning her houses and basically had the world by the tail then wrote a book biatching how tough it is to be a woman?That Betty Friedan?

Bullshiat is bullshiat especially from a hypocrite.

The wealthy and privileged tend to have the time and resources to take on causes and be listened to where a poor person does not.

/This is not surprising to most people

That's not cool pointing this out and generally deflating the arguments of a lot of people in this thread who are too pussy to admit they merely want women back in the kitchen.

In that bit after 'to admit,' I think you may have misspelled 'they're just bitter because they can't get laid.'

dersk:WhippingBoy: douchebag/hater: The Betty Friedan who came from a well-off family and went to private schools all her life then married 'wealthy' and had maids cleaning her houses and basically had the world by the tail then wrote a book biatching how tough it is to be a woman?That Betty Friedan?

Bullshiat is bullshiat especially from a hypocrite.

Actually, I've found this to be true about a number of self-described "feminists": upper-middle class background, highly educated, high-five or six figure income, life of privilege... yet somehow, they're "oppressed" because one guy in a bar once called them "fat".

stiletto_the_wise:Women in the workplace is why things can now cost twice what they used to, putting single-income households at a disadvantage. Discuss.

Yes, because look at how great the economies are in countries where women aren't allowed to work outside the home.

You do know that women have always worked, don't you? It's just now employers have to at least pretend to pay them a similar wage to men. What do you think happened to women whose husbands died or left them?

dersk:DamnYankees: Feminism is one of those things which was so successful in completely transforming the way society views itself and its goal was so broadly achieved and became so 'normal' (mostly), that the idea of having a movement for it become a weird thing and therefore garnered a lot of hate.

Were you not paying attention during the last Presidential election? There seem to be a lot of pretty paleo politicians around who still want to dicktate to women.